PIA News Service - Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011

BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 26 (PIA) – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Caraga is spearheading the observance of Adoption Consciousness Week with this year’s theme: “Bata ay Huwag Abandonahin! Legal na Pagpapa-ampon ang Gawin” from February 5-11, 2011 based on Proclamation No. 72 dated February 3, 1999.

This year, DSWD aims to intensify public awareness on Alternative Family Care Program through adoption, foster care, legal guardianship or residential care.

A kick-off activity on this observance is set on February 7, 2011. A mass will be celebrated at Saint Joseph Cathedral here, which will be followed with a motorcade and kick-off program at the Rizal Park. (PIA-Caraga)

DOT-Caraga prepares for WOW Caraga 2011 celebration

By: Jennifer P. Gaitano

BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 26 (PIA) – The Department of Tourism (DOT) Caraga will again spearhead the staging of the 16th Anniversary Celebration of Caraga region dubbed as WOW Caraga 2011 slated on February 22-26, 2011.

The event will be held in the bird watching destination of Bislig City, Surigao del Sur in commemoration of the creation of Caraga Region when President Fidel V. Ramos signed into law Republic Act 7901 on February 23 1995.

It was learned that the grand opening of the Calagan Festival is scheduled on February 23, 2011, 3:00pm at the John Bosco Soccer Field in Bislig City, Surigao del Sur.

Also, DOT Secretary Hon. Alberto A. Lim and Usec. Ma. Victoria V. Jasmin will be the honorary guests of the said event. Chief executives and government employees will also participate.

The 16th year anniversary of the region will bring all Caraganons to a new dimension of hope, hard work and high spirits. It will be a celebration of thanksgiving for yields of tireless efforts. All these will be dramatized through a festivity of unity expressed through an artful display of Filipino’s colorful culture, the Calagan Festival and other activities. (PIA-Caraga)

.Crew of Balangay boats to arrive in Butuan

By: Jennifer P. Gaitano

BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 26 (PIA) – The City Tourism here with other government line agencies and stakeholders is gearing up for the arrival of the crew members of the Balangay boats –‘Masawa Hong Butuan’ and ‘Sama Tawi-Tawi’. The crew members are tentatively set to arrive here on February 4, 2011 at the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).

The Balangay Expedition was a symbolic journey to retrace and recapture the ancient pre Hispanic history as seafaring and trading royal civilized people intended to make the Filipinos proud and believe in their virtues.

The expedition first sailed throughout the archipelago and wherever it docked, it gave lectures in Philippine culture and history and engaged the people to go back to their bayanihan spirit.

It also visited Brunei, Singapore, Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and the waters of Vietnam where the crew shared the message that the seas do not divide but connect and unite these countries with the Philippines.

The team is composed of the Philippine Mt. Everest Team is composed of former Mt. Everest summit climbers like Arturo Valdez (former Transportation and Communication Undersecretary), Leo Oracion (the first Filipino to reach the summit of Mt. Everest in May 2006); Erwin “Pastour” Emata (the second Filipino to reach the tip of Everest), Janet Belarmino-Sardena (the youngest mother to reach the tip of Everest); Carina Dayondon (the second Filipina to reach the summit of Everest); Noelle Wenceslao (the first Filipina to reach the summit of Everest); Dr. Ted Esquerra (of the Philippine Coast Guard); Fred Jamili (Valdez’ partner for 30 years and a member of the First Philippine Mt. Everest Expedition).

Several Butuanons are also part of the crew-men as follows: Daniel Calo, Lemzar John Manginsay, Daniel Dominic Calo, Samuel Thomas Raypon, Eugene Boco, and Billy Jack Bahi-an.

Meanwhile, crew-members of the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Navy-Naval Special Operations Group (NAVSOG), Sama Delaya Crew, and volunteers will also join.

The Balanghai or Balangay boats discovered in 1976 in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, are said to be dating back to 1250 A.D. (PIA-Caraga)

.Surigao Norte awards top real property tax collectors

SURIGAO DEL NORTE, Jan. 26 (PIA) – The provincial government here has awarded the top five municipalities for their significant contributions in the real property collections of the province.

In a simple awarding ceremony held Tuesday, Jan. 25 during the Provincial Development Council Meeting at the Philippine Gateway Hotel, Provincial Treasurer Daisy Hubilla, said the awarding of top real property collectors were based on the total collections they have collected in the previous year.

Among the top five municipalities include: Sta. Monica, Placer, Del Carmen, San Benito and Sison.

Another top five municipalities who were also commended for their prompt remittance to the province’s coffers, these include: Pilar, Alegria, Placer, Sison and San Isidro.

Gov. Sol Matugas, on the other hand, commended the different municipalities particularly the local chief executives for their collection performance and successful implementation of its tax administration programs. (FEAbkilan, PIA-Surigao del Norte)

A report from the Provincial Human Resource Management and Development Office (HRMDO) identified the beneficiaries as Reynaldo Samontina, 40 years old, Eddie Minguellas, 46 years old, Recardo Samontina, 31 years old, all from barangay Wanke in Claver, Surigao del Norte. They all received P1, 000.00 each.

One of the fishermen narrated that around 7 o’clock in the evening of Jan. 23, huge waves and strong winds caused their boat to capsize. However, only their engine suffered much damage and no one was injured. (FEAbkilan, PIA-Surigao del Norte)

With the aforementioned information, PAGASA warned the people living near the abovementioned river systems. The local disaster coordinating councils concerned are also advised to be alert for possible and further flashfloods and landslides. (PIA-Caraga with report from PAGASA)

Farmers recipient of CLOA Distribution by the Department of Agarian Reform (DAR) embraced an opportunity for economic development during the Banana Plantation Ground Breaking Ceremony held recently at Brgy. Malicato, Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte.

Two large fruit producers in the country today: La Agusana Fruit International Inc., (LAFII) represented by Chairman Mr. Romy T. Yray, and Del Monte Corporation headed by Gen. Manager, Dir. Guido Villavita in collaboration with the Provincial Government of Agusan del Norte, LGU of Las Nieves, and the 472 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries, who just received 760 hectares of Certificate of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs), witness the ground breaking ceremony.

Groundbreaking ceremony marks the start of Banana Plantation: A meaningful groundbreaking ceremony was held recently to mark the official start of Banana Plantation at KATIMALI ARC of Las Nieves Agusan del Norte. Vice Governor Corvera, Mayor Rosales, Mr. Villavita and other public officials participated in the groundbreaking ceremony culminated into the laying of the time capsule.

Korean investors attended the event and made effort to establish investments thru partnership with the local government of Las Nieves and the farmers and farm-workers for other development projects in the area.

The development and success of this project would result in the complete alteration of hundreds or even thousands of hectares of agricultural land of KATIMALI ARC comprising Barangays Katipunan, Malicato and Bonifacio and ROSSANIM ARC comprising Barangays Rosario, San Roque, San Isidro and Marcos Calo all of Las Nieves town from idle lands to banana plantations.

Hon. Enrico R. Corvera, Vice Governor of Agusan del Norte, said “the objectives of this project is to promote socio-economic activities of the farmers…Strengthen public and private partnership and generate secondary industries that would facilitate further development in Las Nieves town.”

Alex R. Garay, Department Head of PEEDMO, also said, “this is the most aggressive economic venture that will help bring prosperity to the people of Las Nieves which envisions itself to rise from economic woes.”

Hon. Reinario P. Rosales, was grateful for the opportunities given to his constituents and happy that the project could increase revenues, create employment and uplift the economic status of the farmers.

The said ceremonies has finally culminated with the laying of the time capsule led by Vice Governor Corvera, Mayor Rosales, and Mr. Villavita followed with the ceremonial banana planting. (Gil E. Miranda, DAR-13/PIA-Caraga)

.Agsur PNAO all out to reduce malnutrition rate

By: David M. Suyao

The Agusan del Sur provincial nutrition action office (PNAO) intensifies the implementation of their scheduled programs in order to maintain the reduction of malnourished children in the province and educate parents, especially mothers, in the preparation of cheap but nutritious food for their families.

According to Mabe Dalen, Provincial Nutrition chief, her office now focus on World Health Organization-child growth standard training (WHO-CGS) in order to capacitate the barangay nutrition scholars in assessing the children, 0-5 years old, growth and nutritional status through growth monitoring promotion in identifying appropriate health and nutrition intervention, being of great importance in child health and nutrition care.

“Another program that we give weight is the promotion of exclusive breast feeding of children 0-6 months old, and the promotion of introductory complementary feeding of nutritious food tolerable to infant, including the timing in feeding. That is, above our efforts, in rendering counselling services to mothers and caregivers on infant feeding and infant care,” Dalen said.

Another activities that the PNAO and the municipal nutrition action offices (MNAO) undertake since the start of the year 2011 is the location and monitoring of the nutritional status of children 0-7 months old. According to Mabe Dalen, her office and the MNAOs are conducting monthly reweighing of children 0-71 months old in order to determine whether these children are moderately of severely underweight.

“While we visit the barangays for the weighing activities, we also conduct lectures and education campaign, using our standard educational kits on the basic go, grow and glow, and educating mothers on the importance of micronutrients, its importance and functions to the body, including the ill-effects of micronutrients deficiency. With the guide from the Philippine plan of action for nutrition, we encourage every home, community and schools on food production, and refer their planting needs to our Provincial Agriculture Office for their planting materials,” Dalen said.

Mabe Dalen also said, the local government units province-wide is also very glad that the provincial government of Agusan del Sur thru Gov. Adolph Edward Plaza has been very generous to provide them with funds for their meetings and travel inside and outside the province. In fact, last December 2010, the provincial government purchased 44 weighing scales and stadia meters and her office have already distributed these facilities to the different municipalities province-wide.

With the PNAO’s and other stakeholders efforts, prevalence rate of malnourished children reduced. In 2008, the prevalence rate of malnourished children in Agusan del Sur was 13.83 percent, in 2009, it was reduced to 12.90 and in the year ending 2010, the prevalence rate was only 10.62. (PIA-Agusan del Sur)

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Legarda: PH must understand threat of climate change to national security

Senator Loren Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change, today said that the country should understand the effects of climate change in all aspects of society, including national security.

Legarda said that the forum on security implications of climate change today, jointly organized by the Office of Senator Legarda and the British Embassy will raise the awareness of the people on the matter and help the defense forces of the country recognize what they need to do in order to formulate a defense strategy against climate change.

“We need to know the serious security risks that a changing climate presents, the conditions that this will create, how these may affect a country’s national security interests and what actions should the nation take to address these consequences,” she explained.

“We are privileged to expand our understanding on the subject matter through the lens of UK Rear Admiral Neil Morisetti’s military experience as a strategist and a leader,” she added.

The Senator stressed that with the vulnerability of the Philippines to disasters—ranked 12th among the 200 countries most at risk from tropical cyclones, floods and landslides, according to the 2009 Mortality Risk Index by the UNISDR—the forum can help policy and decision makers of the country devise the best strategies and responses to address climate change.

“We need to encourage the mainstreaming of climate change into national security and defense strategies. We need to explore partnerships, amidst national boundaries and divergent economic status, that will help the country build the mechanisms necessary to enhance resiliency to climate impacts. We need to do these now in order to achieve a safe, stable and secure environment for our people,” Legarda concluded. (Office of Senator Loren Legarda/PIA-Caraga)